Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt presents his book “Communtati et Orbi” to the European Parliament

Oct 19, 2017

18th October 2017: Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, the President of the Conference of European Rabbis, has presented his most recently published book to President Antonio Tajani, the President of the European Parliament, in the presence of Vice President of the Europeana Parliament Maired McGuiness and other parliamentarians.

Coming so soon after the recent Austrian elections which saw a far-right party come second in the polls, Chief Rabbi Goldschmidt’s book’Communitati et Orbi’: To the Community and to the World is a timely discussion on pressing religious, cultural and social issues, such as the rise of anti-Semitism and religious extremism.

Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament said: “Thank you [to the Chief Rabbi for his] visit to the European Parliament. […]The Jewish community, Jewish history, is an important part of our European history. […] In this difficult moment, it is important to strengthen our identity. Without our identity, it is difficult to open our doors. It is difficult to have a good dialogue with all the peoples without identity.”

Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, the President of the Conference of European Rabbis, said: “During these complex and often troubling times, it is an honour and a great privilege to be able to present my book to the European Parliament. I feel that we have a collective responsibility to fight extremism in all its forms and spread a message of tolerance and respect across Europe. I hope my book can be a constructive addition to the dialogue that I know is taking place and provide some insight on the challenges that we face so that we can be strong and overcome them together.”